Tony Fisher – What Was Pebble Mill?

See For Yourself

Here are links to two episode of the Midlands version of ‘See For Yourself’. They date from 1991 and 1992. They include clips from many BBC Pebble Mill programmes as well as behind the scenes footage and interviews.

See For Yourself 1991

See For Yourself 1992

Great Expectations – Soldiers in the Blacksmiths

Photo by Albert Sheard, no reproduction without permission

Soldiers in the blacksmiths, Great Expectations, 1981. The set was created in Studio A of Pebble Mill.

The following comment was added to the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Camilla Fisher: ‘Tony Fisher worked on this production and also took photos. A few years later our daughter told her teacher that her daddy had been at the battle of Waterloo. She was disbelieved. So to prove her point she took the photos into to school.’

News Team

Photos by Jane Partridge, no reproduction without permission

‘News Team’ T-shirt belonging to Phil Partridge.

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Ian Collins: ‘It was an animated logo and a version of it was on the front of the building for a while.’

Stuart Gandy: ‘You are right Ian, it was on the front of the building as can be seen in the picture on this wikipedia page about Pebble Mill.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble_Mill_Studios. I think I remember it being animated when it appeared at the start of the programme. I’m sort of guessing late 80s.’

Camilla Fisher: ‘The logo was designed by Tony Fisher based on transport etc meeting in the middle (rather than something going down the drain).’

Martin Chuzzlewit TX card

This is the transmission card for the 1994, BBC2 drama serial Martin Chuzzlewit. The adaptation was written by David Lodge, produced by Chris Parr and directed by Pedr James, with Gavin Davies as the production designer.

Thanks to Ann Chancellor-Davies for sharing the TX card.

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Ian Barber: ‘That was on location in Kings Lynn, we had an amazing time there.’

Gary Williams: ‘I believe Tony Fisher did all the graphics and I loaded up all the opening/closing credits!’

Sue Haslam: ‘Looks rather like some of Tony Fisher’s wonderful calligraphy on the title too…’

Terry Barker: ‘I had just started working for Chris Parr as the show was being edited and I well remember the difference of opinion between him and Pedr over the number of cockroaches on the opening titles. Chris won, and it was less than 12.’

Camilla Fisher: ‘If you are interested in seeing more of the artwork for Martin Chuzzlewit check out the Tony Fisher archive at the library of Birmingham.’

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Tracks

Here are a couple of titles stills from the stylish, offbeat countryside guide, Tracks
circa 1995-7.

Here is the Radio Times entry for the episode transmitted on 4th July 1995:

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/ec2920a7ab4f40a1900a5cce24b58dea

“The weekly guide to the countryside. In tonight’s programme, Lindsay Cannon talks to champion trainer
Ian Openshaw about the secret life of working dogs such as the labrador, golden retriever and springer spaniel and learns, amongotherthings, that labradors were originally bred for catchingfish.
Undaunted by the cerebral palsy that slows his movement, disabled mountaineer John Hawkridge – who has previously tackled Everest and Annapurna – embarks on a trek among some magnificent prehistoric ruins in Orkney. There he indulges his passion for neolithic sights and visits
Maeshowe and the Ring of Brodgerat midnighton Midsummer’s Day.
David Stafford looks at Rattus rattus, also known as the black rat, which may be the most endangered mammal in Britain. Far outnumbered by the brown rat, the black rat gains little sympathy for its plight, having been responsible for the spread of the Black Death. Plus the animated Tracks guide to trees continues with the native yew. Steeped in myth and legend, it has unusual growth characteristics.
Producer Kathryn Moore ; Series producer Dick Colthurst”

The series was re-titled Country Tracks from 1998.

Each episode contained a distinctive animated sequence, which I think was drawn by Pebble Mill graphics designer, Tony Fisher.

Thanks to Ian Collins for making the grabs available.

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Tracey Bagley: “Tracks was briefly part of my portfolio when I joined the dept as Unit Manager. I recall Tony Fisher definitely doing animation for one of my series and out of them all, I think it could only be this.”

Kath Moore: “Tony did them all – with his usual dedication and inimitable, incredible professionalism. He asked such In-depth questions about the characters – in order that that looked right and lived in the right house / environment we created a biog for each of the main souls…from scratch. Tony was as one in a million.”